Chemical fire-extinguishing system.



P. B. BARRINGER.

CHEMICAL FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. 1913.

1.,165fiM. Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES 08 &\

, Paul BBarr' 6r #04 9 ATTORNEYS P. B. BARRINGER. CHEMICAL FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1913.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS PAUL BRANDON BAR-RINGER, OF BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA.

CHEMICAL FIRE-EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 26, 1913 Serial No. 750,842.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PAUL B. BARRINGER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Blacksburg,- in the county of Montgomery and State of Virginia, have invented a dew and Improved Qhemical Fire-Extinguishing System, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a fire extinguishing system of that type consisting of a system of pipes installed in the buildin g to be protected, and connected with a container of the extinguishing chemicals which are normally kept separated but are caused to mix by means of a back pressure created by the explosion of gun powder or the like in the system of pipes when the fusible element of any nozzle is nestroyed by the rise in temperature 1n proxmuty to such. nozzle, due to a fire, it being understood that internal pressure is created in the container by the mixing of the chemicals, so that the contents of the chemical container will be discharged through the pipe system and into the portion of the building where the nozzle has been opened by the heat of the fire.

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify the construction of systems ofthis character so as to be reliable and eflicient in use and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and install.

Another object oi the invention is to improve the construction of the containing device for the liquid chemicals, so that the mixing of the chemicals can be edectively brought about by the pneumatic pressure in the pipe system through the firing of the explosive material of any nozzle. I

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple, efiec'tive and improved firing mechanism for the nozzle.

With such and other objects in view, the invention comprises various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularityxin the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying,drawings, wherein similar reference clmracters'are employed to designate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a sectional view of a building showing the fire extinguishing system installed'gtherein; Fig. 2 isan enlarged sectional view of the liquid chemical container; Fig. 3 is anonlarged sectional View of one of the combined nozzles and firing devices; and Fig.4 is a '11 and funnel 12,

" to discharge the chemicals throughout the system without taking into consideration grav1ty. L

Tl t 1 A d s 1e coll amei is ma e 01. any suitable metal and is preferably provided with a lining 1 or" lead or equivalent material when the container is made up of metal liable to be acted on by the chemicals. At the top of the container is a charging opening 2 that is normally closed I by a screw cap plug or the like 3. The bottom of the container is set into a has 4-, and betwecnthis base and the bottom 5 of the vessel 1; is a discharge pipe 6 that has a connection at '7 with the center or lowermost point of the bottom 5, which is downwardly dished. Resting on I the bottom 5 and disposed centrally over the outlet opening 7 is a holder or carrier B having a bell. jar C of relatively light weight the said holder being in the form of an inverted cup having at its brim a plurality of notches or ports 8. On the holder B, which has a central opening 9, is formed an upstanding cylindrical flange 10, within which the bell C is loosely seated. In order to be acid-proof the bell C is made of glass or other suitable material, vvhile the holder B is of porcelain. glass or the like. The discharge pipe 6 extends upwardly along the outside of the container A and terminates at the top of the latter with a valve and below the valve is a T-coupling to of the chemical distributing system is connected.

As shown in Fig. l, the distributing systern consists of branches 15 connected with the main pipe 1%, and on these branches are combined nozzles and firing devices D fastened preferably to the ceiling of the various rooms in which the system is installed. The combined nozzle and firing devices D are constructed as shown in Fig. 3, and each consists of a ceiling plate 16 having a threaded bore 17 into which screws a short section or" pipe 18 forming a part of the nozzle, such pipe being a few inches in length and having its lower end threaded to Patented Dec. 2%, 1915. I

present instance the installation is I which the main pipe 14 device has a central bore which is enlarged.

at its upper end to provide a shoulder 22 on which rests a block or plate 23 for the firing cap 24, which cap is somewhat like the cap of an ordinary cartridge, and hence has the fulminate or other primer 25 at its center. The cap isclamped between the block 23 and the lower end of the nozzle 18, and is held in line with a firing pin 26- mounted within the body 19. This pin has its striking portion passing through an opening 27 in the block 23, and the pin is adapted to be actuated by a helical spring 28 in the bore of the body 19 and encircling the firing pin, one end of the spring bearing against a shoulder or abutment 29 on the firing pin and the other end bearing on a'stationary abutment 30 on the body 19.- The lower end of the firing pin protrudes through a hood or cap-piece 31, and is engaged therewith by a small body of fusible metal 32, which metal upon fusing will release the firing'pin from the cap-piece 31 and allow the pin to be actuated by its spring 28. In the nozzle tube 18 is contained a body of explosive powder 33, which is packed therein and held by a suitable wad 34. Each ceiling plate is united with a branch of the distributing system by a short pipe connection when the branches are concealed in the ceiling, but'where the branch pipes of the distributing system are open the combined nozzles andfiring devices can be connected directly to the branches.

In charging the container A the same is about one-third filled with tetra-chlorid of carbon which is supplied through the filling opening 2 after the holder B is properly positioned on the bottom of the container. The bell C is next placed on the holder B, but in so doing the bell is tilted so that the air will be permitted to escape and tetrachlorid will completely fill the bell. By

means of the pipette E, which has L-shaped upwardly-discharging lower ends 36, a funnel 37 at its upper end is inserted in the container A through the opening 2, and the discharge end 36 entered under the holder B through one of the ports 8. Strong hydrochloric acid or a weak solution of sulfuric acid is poured into the pipette and supplied to the bell C. The acid being of lighter specific gravity displaces the tetrachlorid of carbon from the bell. The quantity of acid is so proportioned that it will not completely fill the hell but allow the bottom of the latter to be sealed by the tetrachlorid of carbon. The tip of the pipette is now removed from under the holder B, and with the pipette still in the container the proper solution of bicarbonate of soda in water is supplied to the container, almost filling the same. This solution being of lighter specific gravity than the tetra-chlorid of carbon will be above the same.

While the screw cover 3 is still removed the valve 11 is opened, so that a strong solution of bicarbonate of soda in water can be supplied to the vertical portion 6 of the discharge pipe, so as to fill the latter from the point a to the point I). The cut-ofivalve 11 is now closed, so that the system is ready for use, assuming of course that the combined nozzles and. firing devices are charged with powder and their firing pins are set.

In the event of a fire the heated air will melt the fusible tip 32 of the firing pin and allow the firing pin to ignite the explosive 33. The great force developed breaks the ring 21 and thereby opens the nozzle, and at the same time the air pressure in the dis tributing system is greatly increased by the force of the explosion and the heat developed, the result being that the column of liquid in the pipe 6 is forcibly discharged into the container A in an upwardly direction, so as to raise the acid-containing bell C, which bell, by reason of its light weight and the difference in specific gravity of the acid and tetra-chlorid of carbon, is practically in a state of fiotative equilibrium. This upward impulsion of the bell enables the latter to tilt because of its upper end being heavier, and in tilting the.acid is liberated and rises to mingle with a solution of sodium carbonate above the tetra-chlorid of carbon. When the'bell tilts, the light acid therein will at once rise and mingle with the solution of sodium' bicarbonate.

The internal pressure generated will force out the contents of the container through the distributing pipe to the open nozzle from which it is sprayed through the lateral ports 20. In discharging, the tetra-' chlorid of carbon will be forced out of the container first, and then follows the water charged with carbon dioXid and sodium chlorid. I

If the apparatus is used for any purpose where water and salt will be detrimental, the container A will beprovided with a floating ball 40, which is of such specific 12o gravity that it will sink in the sodium bicarbonate solution, but will float in the tetra-' chlorid of carbon. This will be drawn into the ports 7 when the tetra-chlorid is completely exhausted, and thus the sodium bicarbonate solution will be prevented from escaping.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the method of op- 13c metpaa eration and of the apparatus shown will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have describedthe apparatus which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination of a'liquid contain ing tank, an open bottom bell disposed in the bottom of the tank and containing a liquid different from that in the container,

said bell normally held in place solely by resting'on its bottom and being free to rise in the liquid in the container, and an outlet pipe through which liquid is discharged backwardly into the container and against the bell for lifting the same to' a position where it can freely tilt.

2. The combination of a.vessel containinga chemical, an outlet at the bottom, a bell containing a different chemical and nor mally in an approximate state of fiotative equilibrium, the bell being bodily free from the vessel and capable of upsetting, and means on which the bottom of the bell rests and is supported above the bottomof the vessel, whereby the chemical in the latter seals the bottom of the bell, said bell being disposed in such relation to the outlet that a backward pressure of liquid in the latter lifts the bell and enables it to tilt for dis charging its chemical.

3. The combination of a chemical-containing vessel having in its bottom an outlet port, a chemical-containing bell disposed in the vessel adjacent the bottom thereof sealed by the chemical in the vessel, and av device forholding the bell in line with the outlet port, said device comprising an inverted cup having lateral ports and also opening in line With and between the outlet port of the container and the bottom of the bell.

a. The combination of a liquid-containing vessel, an outlet pipe connected in the bottom thereof, a chemical-containing bell, and a holder for positioning the hell with its bottom end in line withthe outlet pipe, said holder comprising an inverted cup having lateral ports and a central opening between the bell and outlet pipe, and also having an upwardly-extending means for loosely hold ing the bell against-lateral displacement.

5. The combination of a liquid-containing vessel having a bottom provided with an out let port and shaped to-slope toward such port, said vessel being adapted to contain chemicals of different specific gravities, and

a body of an intermediate specific gravity free to close the said port when the liquid of lower specific gravity is discharged from the container.

' 6.. The combination of a liquid chemical container, an outlet port in its bottom, a pipe connected with the port and extending upwardly along the side of the oontainer'to a point above the normal level of the liquid in the vessel, means for supplying liquid to the said pipe, and a distributing pipe connected with the first-mentioned pipe at a point above the level of the liquid therein.

In testimony'W-hereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PAUL BRANDON BARRINGER.

Witnesses:

0. J. CRAWFORD, JESSIE Bzsnor. 

